Lawton First Assembly

4 spring/summer 2019 H as this happened to you before? A friend sends a text with a simple phrase… "Who's diving into this with me?" And immediately I respond with the words from the song Dive by Steven Curtis Chapman: I'm diving in, I'm going deep, in over my head I want to be Caught in the rush, lost in the flow, in over my head I want to go e river's deep, the river's wide, the river's water is alive So sink or swim, I'm diving in... en, for the rest of the day, I keep singing this song in my head – OVER and OVER! Yes! I'm talking ALL DAY. Is this just me? Probably not. It's the power of suggestion. Defined, the power of suggestion is the process by which a physical or mental state is influenced by a thought or idea. e power of suggestion can be POSITIVE or it can be NEGATIVE. e power of suggestion in a positive way can be a pop-up on Facebook that brightens your day and sends you in the right direction, like a scripture, a funny saying or maybe even just a sweet picture. But, if you aren't careful, the power of suggestion can influence your behavior in a very negative way. I KNOW. Recently, this happened to me, and for a moment it was very debilitating. For a moment, the negativity of the statement on Facebook threw my thought patterns for a loop. It troubled me. It disturbed my peace. It caused me to question. e enemy of my soul knows that if he can distract me, if he can spread me thin, then I will become weak. ankfully, over the years I have developed a strategy that has worked for me in negative situations, and it is still working for me today. I asked God to quiet my spirit and help my mind to focus on the good. Philippians 4:7 says, "And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." e fact is, there will always be someone trying to influence you. In this journey of life, be careful to allow Jesus to guard your heart and mind. In those moments when we lapse into listening to the negative suggestions, I encourage you to allow the peace of God to guard your heart and mind. I believe that WE are all BETTER TOGETHER. e articles you are reading in this issue of GLife are from people who are just like you and me. ey have had both positive and negative suggestions along their journey. ey have struggled. ey have questioned. ey have had their peace disturbed, but as you will discover as you read along, they have allowed the positive suggestions to be stronger than the negative ones. ey are sharing their journey in order to encourage you to allow the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, to guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. May you find encouragement. May you know that God loves you deeply and cares deeply about every part of your life. So, go ahead…DIVE in. Living and Loving Life! GRATEFUL! ■ Lawton First Assembly Women's Magazine Women's Pastor Debbie Pratt Assistant Bethany Kuehny Art Director Heather Chatterjee Editorial Assistant Sallie Koll Publishing Consultant Laura Clevenger Contributors Debbie Pratt, Sheila Qualls, Amber Stephens, LTC (RET) Rhonda Williams, MAJ Matt Pratt, Lisa Pratt, Brittany Lawrence, Laura Clevenger, Milk Means More, Family Features, Rachel Gurk, Lori Yates Advertising Opportunities (580) 536-9325 E-mail: girlfriends@lawtonfirst.org G-Life Magazine Lawton First Assembly of God 2201 N.W. 82nd Street, Lawton, OK 73505 G-Life magazine is published by Lawton First Assembly. It is distributed free of charge throughout Southwest Oklahoma. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission. G-Life magazine is not responsible for statements made by advertisers or writers. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of information we print, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from omissions or errors. All photography and letters sent to G-Life magazine will be treated unconditionally, assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. For information on where to find G-Life magazine, or how to become a distributor, call (580) 536-9325 or e-mail girlfriends@lawtonfirst.org. Copyright 2019 by Lawton First Assembly. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is forbidden. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchaser, user, or patronage. ©Lawton First Assembly 2019 All Rights Reserved Volume 13, Number 1 girlfriends@lawtonfirst.org lawtonfirst.org/girlfriends facebook.com/lfagirlfriends twitter.com/lfagirlfriends Connect With Us welcome

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